Anybody’s Odyssey of ON THE MARKET game after the Mind Guide to local real estate Day 1 Championship .....................................Inside .........Page A-6 ...........Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Tomorrow: Mostly sunny and warm 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY Aug. 18, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 48 pages, Volume 148 Number 131 email: [email protected] Ukiah Unified sues school architect By LAURA MCCUTCHEON Company partners filed a complaint against ings were incomplete and therefore responsi- The Daily Journal the school district contending the district ble for the delays. Since the district hired the GRACE HUDSON SCHOOL: A TIMELINE The Ukiah Unified School District has owed their company money for the additional architect, Rainbow felt the district should be filed a lawsuit against the architectural firm time needed to complete Grace Hudson responsible for paying restitution. Construction of Grace Hudson Elementary and four independent contractors on the Elementary School. In May, Ukiah Unified filed a cross-com- School began in June 2002, and, under contract, Grace Hudson Elementary School project. In the complaint against the district, Last December, Rainbow Construction Rainbow alleged that the architectural draw- See LAWSUIT, Page A-14 See TIMELINE, Page A-14 Hunter UKIAH CITY COUNCIL fire now LAKE MENDOCINO, LAKE SONOMA contained Selection Blaze burning in Mercury alert process for national forest at 16,296 acres committees By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal under review After more than three By KATIE MINTZ weeks of hard work by local and national fire crews, the The Daily Journal Hunter fire was 100 percent The Ukiah City Council is consider- contained Wednesday night. ing more changes to the selection The Hunter fire has been process used to place individuals on burning in the Mendocino numerous city commissions and com- National Forest since July 24 mittees. when it, and several other Currently, most commissions and fires, were started by light- committees allow a limited number of ning strikes. Since it started, it non-city residents who live within the has combined with the East city’s “sphere of influence” -- from fire and burned a total of ridge top to ridge top and from 16,296 acres. Highway 20 to Burke Hill Road -- to Fire Information Officer serve alongside those from within the John Miller said the plan for city limits, but Councilman John today is to have the fire McCowen has suggested allowing any “cold,” or fully out, within Mendocino County resident to apply. 300 feet of the established fire “There might be a pilot in Hopland line. Firefighters are currently (interested in the Airport Commission), engaged in extinguishing hot and there might be someone interested spots within that perimeter. in Paths, Open Space, and Creek An infrared sensor mounted Commission who lives in Redwood on a plane allows firefighters Valley. Why not throw it wide open?,” to know for certain that a fire McCowen asked the council at its is fully out. meeting Wednesday. “The likelihood of this fire In a letter to city staff and fellow escaping is remote,” Miller councilmembers proposing the change, said Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal he listed possible benefits, saying the Within the line, Miller said Bosco Hughes, of San Francisco, casts a line into the Lake Mendocino inlet on Thursday as change would eliminate confusion over the fire will continue to burn Shay White waits for a catch in the foreground.The California Office of Environmental Health which county residents are eligible to for months. Unlike a Southern Hazard Assessment is seeking public comments on possible fish advisories for the lake. apply, relieve staff of the responsibility California wildfire which of checking residency and relieve tends to completely consume applicants of the potential embarrass- everything in its path, this fire ment of applying for a position they are burned the forest in a mosaic not eligible to hold. State recommending limits on However, Councilman Phil Baldwin pattern, burning all vegetation in some areas and only the indicated that he would not support undergrowth in others. Miller broadening residency requirements. said some of those green consumption of some local fish “If you carry this concept to its log- areas could flare up later and ical conclusion, then the County of burn a few acres. By JAMES ARENS Environmental Health director. Mendocino would throw open its com- “That’s going to be a prob- The Daily Journal ‘This isn’t an advisory for people “Those species are sunfish, crap- missions to persons from San Diego or lem until winter,” Miller said. There are some concerns about to beware of the fish they catch in pie and large- and smallmouth Del Norte County, and commissions at Continued burning in the the levels of mercury in fish being bass.” the state level would (be open) to peo- area could mean some smoke caught from Lake Mendocino and the lake, just for them to be more This draft advisory was sent out ple in New Hampshire and Florida,” will be visible in the Covelo Lake Sonoma so the California to help advise people who fish in Baldwin said. “The logic doesn’t work Environmental Protection conscientious about the amount Lake Mendocino and Lake very well.” area, but Miller said it would Judy Pruden, who serves on the “not be heavy enough to pose Agency’s Office of Environmental Sonoma, of some guidelines and they eat.’ information on the potential health city’s Planning Commission, addressed a health risk.” Health Hazard Assessment the council with more concerns, stating Now that the fire is con- (OEHHA) is looking for local and effects posed by consuming fish she feels strongly that a commission or tained, control of the affected public insight. JOHN ROGERS that contain mercury. The fish committee should always have a area will return to the United The OEHHA is asking for pub- advisories are not intended to dis- majority of Ukiah residents. States Forest Service, Covelo lic comment on the first draft of a Environmental Health director courage people from eating the “One thing I have learned in work- Ranger District which regu- fish advisory concerning elevated fish entirely, but should be fol- ing with non-citizens of Ukiah is, they larly oversees management of levels of mercury in Lake Sonoma and found that there are lowed to make eating sport fish are ... sometimes completely ignorant the forest. Mendocino and Lake Sonoma. heightened levels of mercury in safer. of our process and our procedures and The Forest Service will “The state did some tests of certain species of fish,” said John our codes and other such applicable See FISH, Page A-14 documents,” Pruden said. maintain closures on Road Lake Mendocino and Lake Rogers, Mendocino County She did, however, recognize that M1 and Road M61 to the people who live outside city limits See FIRE, Page A-14 See CITY, Page A-14 Two more arrests in Covelo marijuana garden investigation 7,500 marijuana plants cers found a marijuana garden. being a felon in possession of a arrested Rafael Alexander Nunes, 27, Smallcomb said the Sheriff’s MCSO Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said firearm. and Airton Costa Junior, 41, both of Office doesn’t believe the two men seized and destroyed; interviews with the suspects indicat- Emery was arrested on suspicion Covelo, and Edgar Quinillo, 18, of arrested Wednesday are connected more arrests expected ed the garden was being operated for of planting and cultivating marijuana San Rafael, on suspicion of cultivat- with the larger gardens found in profit. and possession of marijuana for sale. ing marijuana with intent to sell and Round Valley on Tuesday, where The Daily Journal Deputies arrested Raymond Smallcomb said the two men were entering the United States illegally. Nunes, Costa and Quinillo were The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Howard Lawrence, 48, of Redwood running the garden. The three were allegedly working arrested. Office made two additional arrests Valley, and William Ralph Emery, Deputies also served search war- in illegal marijuana gardens in the The Sheriff’s Office has been Wednesday in its investigation into 64, of Covelo at the scene. Lawrence rants on a garden in the 87000 block 76000 block of Henderson Lane and working with state and federal law illegal marijuana gardens in the was arrested on suspicion of planting of Road 343. Between the two gar- the 22000 block of Refuse Road. enforcement in this effort, and with Round Valley area. and cultivating marijuana, posses- dens, deputies seized and destroyed a Sheriff’s deputies also eradicated officers from the state Campaign While serving a search warrant in sion of marijuana for sale, posses- total of 7,500 marijuana plants. 4,500 marijuana plants in three gar- Against Marijuana Planting. More the 78000 block of Road 343, offi- sion of a controlled substance and On Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies dens in the area. arrests are expected. A-2 – FRIDAY, AUG. 18, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] carried in public. It said nothing about the network of Hezbollah rocket bunkers across the 18-mile stretch between The world briefly the river and the Israeli border. 2 setbacks for Merck The deep political divisions in Lebanon resurfaced with the head of the largest parliamentary bloc blasting both Israel and in lawsuits over Vioxx Syria in a fiery nationalistic speech to hundreds of supporters. Officials urge caution amid unanswered Associated Press said of the New Orleans ver- NEW ORLEANS — Merck dict. questions on confession in JonBenet case Bush signs pension bill, calls it the most & Co. was stung with two As for the New Jersey case: BOULDER, Colo.